Unvaccinated students to be denied admissions, barred from exams

KARACHI: The Sindh government has tightened restrictions for students and made vaccination mandatory for students of grade XI and above.

According to the latest guidelines, students of grade XI and above will not be allowed to appear in examinations and practicals if they have not been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“No students will be allowed admission, take physical classes, appear in practical exams or other examination prior to vaccination,” said a notification issued by the director of college education Karachi region.

All college principals have been directed to establish vaccination desks at the colleges to facilitate the students and representatives of the health department. The director asked the principals to launch the vaccination drive in their colleges from today and fill the consent form and get it signed by parents or guardians properly.

It has been decided that vaccinations will be carried out after taking consent from the parents of students age 17 years and above. If a student is below the age of 17 years their data has to be submitted to the directorate, along with their NADRA B-Form.

Meanwhile, Director-General of Private Institutions Sindh Mansoob Siddiqui has rejected the provincial government’s notification, saying “If parents not allow their children to be vaccination, the doors of educational institutions for them will not be closed”.

In a meeting on Sunday, the federal government said it had decided to vaccinate students of Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. However, the Sindh Health Department had earlier in the day said that the immunisation campaign had been delayed as the total record of students was not available.

During the campaign, the authorities will review the registration status of private schools, form inspection teams, and gather data on several indicators to devise a Covid prevention mechanism.

The government recently made coronavirus vaccination mandatory for students across the country. Students will not be allowed on campuses if they are not fully vaccinated by October 15.